1. In 1864, the Battle of Jonesboro was fought in Georgia, just across the Alabama state line. This battle is considered one of the final turning points in the American Civil War, as it led to the capture of Atlanta by Union forces.

2. On September 2, 1963, Governor George Wallace famously made his "stand in the schoolhouse door" at the University of Alabama, attempting to block the admission of two black students. This event was a symbol of the resistance to desegregation in the South, and it ultimately led to the students' admission through the intervention of federal authorities.

3. Alabama native Joe Louis was born on September 2, 1914. Louis was a legendary professional boxer, known as the "Brown Bomber" and widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.

4. On September 2, 1919, a group of black sharecroppers in rural Alabama organized a strike to demand fair wages and working conditions. The strike was met with violence from local authorities, resulting in the deaths of several strikers and leading to a crackdown on union activity across the state.

5. The Alabama Crimson Tide football team played its first-ever game on September 2, 1892, a 56-0 victory over a team from Birmingham. The Crimson Tide would go on to become one of the most storied programs in college football history, winning over 900 games and 17 national championships.